Questions About Choc. Lab Pup

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supert

Senior Member
I Just Have A Couple Of Questions About A Lab. I Aquired A 8 Week Old Chocolate Lab From A Friend Of Mine At Work. I Have A Couple Of Questions?

1. How Old Does A Dog Have To Be Before You Can Start It On Retrieving?

2. I Don't Know Much About This Dogs Parents So If It Turns Out His Parents Were Just Pets Can You Still Teach It To Retrieve.

3.this Pup Has No Papers So How Can You Tell If You Have A Full Blooded Lab. The Pup I Have Has A Thick Coat Of Brown Hair So I Was Just Curious.
 

browning84

Senior Member
Nothing really formal should be done in the way of OB until around 5-6 months and no force fetch until all adult teeth are in and there are no signs of soreness in the mouth. A few bumpers a day will do him some good, the most important thing right now is to bring out the dogs natural retrieving desire, but always leave him wanting more don’t throw until he stops bring them back, that is the tricky part, finding the point in which to stop. Just remember it will all come with time. Sit and just general manners should really be the only other thing to work on right now.

You can buy a DNA test to test for the breed, I don’t know much about this I just know that they exist. But if you have no papers or if the puppy was born to paperless parents and can’t even acquire papers then I don’t know that is matters unless you want to pay the $75 for a test just so you can know 100%.

If you want to train the puppy for hunting purposes then I would recommend you find and research a pro trainer with a DVD or book to follow and then are you have to do is just do it.
 

supert

Senior Member
latest pics

these are the latest pics of the pup
 

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LLove

Senior Member
i hate to make it sound simple, but just throw a ball.. if he retrieves it you'll know you've got a natural and can go from there with the standard training.
 

gdhall

Senior Member
sometimes they don't want to just fetch a ball. I dunno that much about it but I know if I make a big "to-do" about WHATEVER I have in my hand my dog is alot more likely to want it that if i just show it to him and throw it. He's still a puppy too. 7 months. but i'm not a trainer by any means.
 

supert

Senior Member
not a lab

i was looking at some labs on the net none of the full blooded males that i have seen look anything like this i don't believe that i got a lab, plus he won't fetch anything i trie to throw balls dummies and all he does is wimper and lay down, looks like i have a house dog. lol
 

QUACKHEAD

Senior Member
Just give him some time. He is just still a puppy my lab was the same way. Mine really didn't want to retrieve till this past couple of weeks. Know that is all he wants to do. My suggestion would be just to work on OB for know. Just let him be a puppy. I am not a expert by far just giving my 2 cents.
 

mustlovelabs

Senior Member
a puppy can change its looks a 100 times growing up. your puppy might just be at that "lanky" stage. hang in there. you will be able to tell some what later on. Just give the puppy time to come around. Don't force it on him. Give him time to get to know the "toy"
 

bobman

Senior Member
if hes not a lab hes got a lot of lab in him.

After hes another month old take a sock roll it in a ball and get in a hallway in your house where the only way he can come back is to you

play with him get him excited to tussle with it shake it in front of him and then toss it a few feet down the hall when he runs after it and picks it up talk excitedly and call him to you and dont yank it away, let him keep it and pet him profusely with some "attaboys" while hes mouthing it.

Do this simple drill once or twice a day just one or two times each session always quit with him wanting more.

You can develop retrieve in any dog doing this if you start as a pup.

dont over do it, once or twice is plenty then take him out and let him sniff around the yard and be a pup, they have a very short attention span
 

chase870

Possum Sox
I always use wings when they are little, the real bird smell and the feel of the feathers brings their instincts out. A sure enough warm bird with a little blood works real well. When he starts to eat the wings or bird take it away and play with something else, you dont want him to get a hard mouth
 

mustlovelabs

Senior Member
I agree with bobman. If he is not a 100% lab then his main lineage is most certain lab. He has a solid color. Most of the time when they have some other breeds in them they get white markings or tan markings
 

ejs1980

Senior Member
He's got alot of lab in him if he isn't fullblooded. I got two "full blooded" yellow lab pups one time. At about 11 weeks that pretty white fur turned too gold. All was well though I gave a male to a friend at work and the female was one of my best hunting dogs in my life. Just keep playing with the pup and working with it some but keep it fun for you and the pup. You got some great advice above. What kind of hunting are you going to do with the dog? Also I don't see alot of people mentioning it when people are asking about pups but you might want to slowly start exposing the pup to a 22 or even a capgun but do it after you've bonded and the dog is preoccupied with something it enjoys.
 

browning84

Senior Member

are you suggesting OB is more important then bringing out the natural instinct to retrieve in the dog? If the dog is well retrieved and the natural instinct is strong then you could start a more formal OB program sooner, I was only trying to make the point that imo the most important thing at that age is to get the dog retrieving.
 

Jrocket

Senior Member
I would just like to add to what everyone else has said, right now spend hours upon hours just being his best friend.
NOT alot of harsh scolding when he messes up

THERE WILL BE LOTS OF TIME FOR THIS LATER! :banginghe

Gaining his trust now is priceless. Soon his every desire will be to please you. Whether 200 yard blind retrieve or playing catch with a tennis ball. He has the tallent but..Just how good a teacher are you???? It is never his fault.. it is your lack of attention to detail.

Crate training now is one of the best tools you can use!

Good Luck!!!!
 

browning84

Senior Member
I would just like to add to what everyone else has said, right now spend hours upon hours just being his best friend.
NOT alot of harsh scolding when he messes up

THERE WILL BE LOTS OF TIME FOR THIS LATER! :banginghe

Gaining his trust now is priceless. Soon his every desire will be to please you. Whether 200 yard blind retrieve or playing catch with a tennis ball. He has the tallent but..Just how good a teacher are you???? It is never his fault.. it is your lack of attention to detail.

Crate training now is one of the best tools you can use!

Good Luck!!!!


well put:cool:, I don't like tennis balls that much I would rather just use bumpers but that is just my personal thoughts. but yes let him be a puppy and explore and play with him and let him learn and experience new things.
 

robertyb

Senior Member
Start teaching him manners. Sit, stay, come, heel. Same as you would teach a baby. Slow and sure.

Take him out and play with him for 15 to 20 minutes a day at least. Throw a ball and let him chase it. Do not be strict with him if he does not retrieve at this age, he is a baby. Treat him like one. He will learn.

Remember, learning is repetition. That is how we all learned everything we know, Dogs are the same. Make your training time fun for him.
 

supert

Senior Member
update on pup

the pup is acting like he wants to start retrieving a little i have thrown socks and he fetches but rarely brings back took to the lake and he looks like he might be interested in water but still sort of scared to check it out is he still too young do you guys recommend shock collars for dogs on barking or obedience training if so how old do they need to be mine is about 10 weeks i know he is still real young i just want to know
 
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